Four Tools That Make Cleaning Squirrels Easy

Larry Eckart

Four Pointer
Four Tools That Make Cleaning Squirrels Easy

Guys,
Last week I posted about my squirrel hunt on opening day. It was the first time I cleaned squirrels in many years. After a “hair-raising” experience, namely, picking hair off my cleaned game for about an hour, I decided to investigate a better way.

I spent some time watching YouTube videos and reading posts about cleaning squirrels. I wanted to go beyond the two old school methods of either standing on the tail or making a cut across the back and pulling in two directions.

I found four ideas that seemed worthwhile and put them together into one process. After two more hunts and subsequent cleaning of game, the worst part of squirrel hunting, cleaning them, no longer needs to be the worst part of squirrel hunting.

Here are the four tools that make the job easier: a bucket of water, game shears, catfish pliers, and a “squirrel gambrel.”

The bucket of water: before you begin, dunk each squirrel in a bucket of water long enough to soak deeply. This binds the hairs together so that they don’t bond to the wet skin as you clean your squirrel.

Game shears: game shears make easy work of clipping off the feet, quartering the squirrel and butchering as you choose.

Catfish pliers: this idea was priceless. Not only do they grab better than your hands, they keep your hands from getting full of hair and subsequently getting the skinned squirrel full of hair.

A squirrel gambrel: you’ve heard of and seen gambrels used to butcher a deer. There are a few designs out there for squirrel gambrels. I saw a design that I liked and simply drew it free hand and cut it out of 1/16” inch steel. This handy gadget makes all the difference in turning a frustrating job into one that is simple.

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Here’s how the gambrel works. Put the back feet in the narrow slots with the tail facing toward you. Make a cut across the vent, then cut the tailbone with the shears and pull down on the tail with the catfish pliers until all the skin is over the head. Clip off the excess skin with the shears but leave the head on. Then flip the squirrel around and put the head in the gambrel’s wide slot with the skin of the belly facing toward you. Once again use the catfish pliers to pull off the remaining skin. Clip the feet and finish the job as you choose. I use carabiners to mount the gambrel on a post.

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One person had a great idea that I adopted: quarter the four legs and then, using the shears, cut out the back meat but let the rest of the cavity and guts fall into a bucket. Presto! You are done. Drop the meat in a pan of clean water and get ready for good eating.

Everyone has their own style of both hunting and cleaning game, but these four tools made quick work of cleaning game on back-to-back hunts.

Thanks for reading,
Larry
 

specialk

Twelve Pointer
Those shears make short work cutting/cleaning a rabbit as well....and also some good latex gloves.....
 

KrisB

Ten Pointer
We used a squirrel gambrel (or at least it was a really small gambrel) on my first squirrel. Did not dunk squirrel in water, but did the skinning mostly as you describe and it worked great! No hair on the meat at all.
 

Larry Eckart

Four Pointer
Tip moose and Killer Hamilton: I'm not going squirrel hunting for a bit plus my wife would rather die than be involved in videotaping my killing a squirrel. Search for "squirrel gambrel" in YouTube and you will see how others do it. Then just use the four tools I mention and you will do fine.
Larry
 

Tipmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Tip moose and Killer Hamilton: I'm not going squirrel hunting for a bit plus my wife would rather die than be involved in videotaping my killing a squirrel. Search for "squirrel gambrel" in YouTube and you will see how others do it. Then just use the four tools I mention and you will do fine.
Larry

Yep I know. I posted a link to a thread on here that shows a squirrel gambrel being used.
 

41magnum

Twelve Pointer
my shears double as a knife, and a gambrel and modified vise grips (like from a skinning machine or welders vise grips) are the things I used to use.........3 tools.
 

kilerhamilton

Old Mossy Horns
I thought cutting the vent and tail stepping hind leg pulling was the only way to. I use pruners for the head and feet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Uwharrieman

Ten Pointer
There is a video on Youtube showing a VA wildlife officer skinning a squirrel in no time flat,
and without the hair sticking to it. Haven't seen it in awhile but will check.
 
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